CBRNe News March 2009
Product Watch
Remote learning at Berkeley
Berkeley Nucleonics announced that their remote radiation monitoring devices, Model 1035 AreaSAM, is able to do isotopic identification. It will provide simple ident data backed up by qualitative spectroscopic data, isotope class, dose rate in real time. This data can be sent to multiple users and the isotope identifier algorithms are based on their market leading non-germanium detectors.
DetectBio awarded
The French Army Biological detection system, DetectBio, was awarded to the EADS consortium in March. The 35 million Euro contract is split into two parts, SAMOA – composed of EADS, Proengin (with their MAB) and Bertin (with their Coriolis) and FIDGI – NBC Sys and Bertin. SAMOA is the detection side of the contract, with EADS acting as systems integrator, while FIDGI is an eight year contract for the supply, development and storage of reagents and other consumables. Expect to see more on this project in forthcoming editions of CBRNe World.
TSA’s Sabre acquisition continues
Smiths Detection were pleased to announce that the US’ Transportation Security Administration had put in another contract for $2 million worth of handheld explosive trace detectors.
Entering ITT’s domain
ITT announced the launch of their web based chemical database – Domain. This has been designed for the homeland security market and is a searchable database of 4,00 chemicals to allow research and identification of suspected properties and processes.
Hooray for the good bacteria!
It is clearly not time to be tired of all the adverts for Probiotic yoghurt drinks yet! Mansour Mohamedzadeh from Northwestern University is working on developing a probiotic vaccine for Anthrax. His preclinical studies have shown that the approach has been successful in cases of anthrax exposure and suggests that the small intestine might be able to contribute to combating the spore. He is looking to increase his research to take in other agents.
H’oh! What’s occurring?
Alun Cole, Director of Markes International, had a little bit of star dust land on him as he was awarded two awards, International Business of the Year and Company of the year, by UK TV star Ruth Jones (of the BBC’s Gavin and Stacey). The awards for the thermal desorption, gas detection, company were from the Rhondda Cynon Taf Business Club (which for those not in the know, is the region around the Welsh capitol)
Scent of an (explosive) lady
Scent Detection Technologies (SDT), launched their next generation explosive and narcotics vapour detector at the Global Security Asia show. Their MN2000 uses QCM detection and as such does not require a radioactive source – like IMS based devices. The MN2000 has an expandable library, a vapour suction device and is ‘battlefield’ rugged. SDT work closely with Israeli Military Industries and had some of their detection systems at the Beijing Olympics.
Perhaps in recognition of this Frost and Sullivan voted SDT as their 2009 Explosives and Narcotics Trace Detection product line of the year!
It’s a roll-over
Avon Protection were pleased to announce a three year contact, worth £4.5 million, for a sustained supply of S10 respirators for the UK MoD. Due to a technical issue and then specifications creep the UK’s new GSR has been slightly delayed – though is still expected to be in production in 2009 – which means that the UK needs to procure S10s to fill up the logistics shortfall. Avon’s new contract has the potential to expand from £4.5 to £10 million over the three years and, added to their work on the M50, must have made quite a nice month.
Becoming Management
UK firm Oldbury (www.oldbury.co.uk) also unveiled their new CBRN Scene and Incident Management equipment at the Global Security Asia show. These are fully mobile, trailer based systems that allow military and civil responders to do a range of tasks in a CBRN or riot environment. The system is deployable in about four minutes , can be up-armoured for ballistic and blast protection and can be towed behind a conventional 4X4. Oldbury also have a personnel decon package, that can either be fitted as needed onto a specialist trailer, or as a fixed capability.
Threat Watch
Quid pro quo...
Libya is expressing it’s dissatisfaction over the way that it has been treated by the US after it has agreed to give up its chemical and nuclear programmes. Libya’s is concerned that their treatment will be seen as a model of what other countries can expect if they willingly hand over their keys – as Libya did five years ago. Libya has received concessions from the US, and is well past the Pariah state mentality that it did have, but clearly they are expecting more from the new administration and are putting markers down.
CBIRF make an impression
The USMC specialised CBRNE force, CBIRF, hosted a visiting Brigadier, to show them what they were about. BG Michael Dana, Director for Logistics, US Northcom, visited the unit to see how they differed from a standard unit. He was quite surprised at their exact mission and the skills that they needed, “This is phenomenal, I am really impressed with the capabilities this unit has, and for the size of it, you guys do a lot more than I thought you did!”
CBIRF Marines also took part in the Northern Shield exercise in North Carolina where they were able to put a wide variety of skills to the training test. This included attending to simulated casualties in a marine environment, the Marines were tested with the ability to highline casualties from deck to deck. "It was scary walking up the plank with all of my gear… while the ramp was bouncing back and forth… what really made it difficult was having our gas masks on, while we were setting the high-line up. It's really easy to misjudge distances in gas masks," Cpl. Jeson Coleman explained
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